


The Citadel

by Argyle_Pigeon



Series: Julian Shepard [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Spacer (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 03:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9582257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argyle_Pigeon/pseuds/Argyle_Pigeon
Summary: An exploration of Julian Shepard's first trip to the Citadel, perhaps a bit traumatic no thanks to her mother.Childhood Study of Spacer Shepard.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short story written to expand on the backgroud of my Spacer, Julian Shepard. I am rather rusty and this is pretty raw in writting so please be prepared for many mistakes. Otherwise, I do hope you enjoy! I may post more stories on Julian in the future. :)

The airlock whirled open with a hiss and instantly the clamour of the docks filled the small space. Julian shrunk back further, eyes wide and hesitant as she watched the multitudes of aliens mill about. They were terrifying. She had been excited for her first foray into a space station not dominated by humans. Now faced with the reality, Julian was having second thoughts. She watched as her mother strode out confidently, her sharp gaze scanning the crowd. Even in civvies, Commander Hannah Shepard bore the hard, intimidating line of military precision. 

Hannah turned and gestured curtly at her, “Julian, quit dawdling. I have a lot of errands to get done.” There was no room for argument, never with the commander. Julian quickly fell in line as her mother headed to security processing. Immediately they were surrounded in a giant mass of Salarians, all engaged in extremely robust and loud conversation. Julian felt their large, black eyes focus on her. The weight of them was heavy and she kept her eyes on her mother ahead. Hunching her shoulders forward, Julian wished that she was allowed to reach out and hold Hannah’s hand. 

Thankfully the crowd at the security desk was lighter and calmer. While her mother was busy, Julian took the opportunity to scrutinize the nearby Salarians further. Eyes wide with young interest, she gazed over every little detail of difference. Their legs bent at different angles moved so fluidly and alien-like it was almost hypnotic, their skin all different hues of colour that were more brilliant in person, and those large eyes moved with the same frenetic pace that the species carried. Julian found that the pictures and vids did no justice to the remarkably strange beauty of the Salarians, though her limited vocabulary failed to put words to her feelings. Turning her head away, she pondered over the strange fondness swelling in her heart, yearning yet again to take hold of her mother’s hand.

The Security clerk nodded politely to her mother, gesturing towards the scanners. Julian looked up as her mother thanked the clerk and started towards the short hall decked out in every form of bioscanners ever made. The blue laser grid was intimidating and far too similar to the ones in vids that sliced people up, it made her hesitate despite her mother’s motion to go first. 

“It won’t hurt, Julian. They are just like the scrubbers in airlocks,” Hannah spoke patiently, the corners of her lips lifting up in a brief show of reassurance. She felt a strong hand press against her back, urging her forward. Julian swallowed the lump in her throat and walked towards the small crosshair on the floor and stopped, looking down at her arms in surprise as she felt a tingling sensation wash over her body. There was a beep and the door before her glowed green before opening. She rushed out of the small hall and turned around to watch Hannah do the same, but with significantly less hesitation or wonder. 

“Well, I am glad you heeded my words not to smuggle any of your hand-made contraptions,” Her mother remarked as she led them out of the security bay. Julian grunted, wrinkling her nose in irritation as she stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. Like she would risk the chance to finally see the Citadel in person. Her mother of all people should know, considering how often she begged to join her on these trips. 

Her irritation however was quickly gone in a wave of awe as the corridor gave way to an enormous balcony overlooking the central hub of the citadel. It was beyond any human made station, and holoscreens hardly captured the sheer scope and size not to mention energy of the place. Julian felt like her eyes were going to explode from trying to absorb everything at once. She goggled at the volume of aliens all going about their day, the graceful architecture that blended in with the organic flowing gardens, and even the skycars zooming overhead were overshadowed by the vast holographic sky. Forgetting her earlier fears, Julian suddenly rushed to the rails of the balcony, gripping the impossibly smooth metal for leverage as she looked down at the terraces below. The massive central lake gleamed in the artificial sunlight, dazzling her eyes as she swept them over every detail. The noise was a cacophony of rushing water, traffic, and conversations. She could see a good couple of hundred stores from her vantage point and wondered just-

Abruptly, Julian was jerked away from the railings, elbow caught in an iron grip. She shrank under the angry, reprimanding stare of her mother, belatedly realizing her name had been said twice. Hannah did not hold any tolerance to being ignored, intentionally or not. 

“Julian Shepard, you will stay by my side at all times unless instructed otherwise. Understand?” Sharp like a whip, her voice made Julian flinch before nodding quickly in deference. Satisfied that she had been heard, her mother let go of her elbow before resuming her earlier direction. Unaware of the gaze of nearby spectators watching the interaction, Julian bowed her head to the ground as she followed close behind her mother. They merged seamlessly into the flow of traffic and Julian realized then why Hannah did not like her straying from her side. Observing the crowd from afar was a head rush, and being in the crowd was beyond anything she had experienced. She felt her head pound from the sheer overstimulation, too many things were happening at once for her brain to keep track of. She focussed her eyes on Hannah’s back as they made their way down the numerous stairways and into a thicker crowd of shop goers. 

It felt like every pair of eyes in the galaxy was on her, watching her every movement. Julian trembled, jogging closer to her mother as she looked out to the aliens. They were looking at her. She nearly grabbed Hannah’s hand at that realization. A group of asari burst into loud laughter, and it felt like they were laughing at her. 

After what felt like hours of complete confusion and mayhem, they broke free of the main commerce and into a quieter district. Julian breathed in deeply, feeling her trembles settle. The terraces here were more closed in, bordered by groomed gardens and high end stores. Finally, Hannah stopped before a store proudly displaying gleaming weapons of every size and calibre before turning to Julian. 

“Stay here and do not move an inch while I go deal with this,” Hannah instructed, pointing at the bench across from the armory store. Julian felt a surge of panic of sitting there alone while her mother took god knows how long at guns, but she obeyed without protest. She sat down on the gleaming white metal and immediately pressed herself against the bench arm, trying to look small and unnoticeable as she watched forlornly as her mother disappeared into the store. A few minutes passed before the worst thing that could happen happened. An asari walked up and sat down on the other end of the bench. She felt her stomach do ten triple flips as her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. 

Julian fought the urge to bring her legs up and curl into a ball, knowing that her mother’s ire would be worse than the exposed vulnerability she was feeling now. She regretted ever wanting to come here. The Citadel was terrifying and beyond anything she was expecting. Julian tried in vain to ignore the asari at the corner of her eye. Seeing them up close in person brought to light the numerous, stark differences and similarities the species had with humans, and just how real they were. The asari had always been unsettling to Julian. 

“So, what’s your name kid?” The asari spoke suddenly. Julian jerked her head and made eye contact for half a second in alarm before facing forward again. Her stomach twisted further in fear. It would be incredibly rude to not respond yet her tongue seemed to have lost function. 

The asari then spoke again after a few awkward moments passed, “Shy, huh? Name’s Jeera, it is only fair I deliver first. This your first time on the Citadel?” Julian hunched her shoulders, the voice sounded so friendly and open. She risked a peek and saw that Jeera was smiling gently at her. Goaded into action she nodded. The asari’s smile grew wider and Julian found herself reciprocating.

“Well isn’t that exciting! It’s a lot to take in, eh? I remember my first time. Thought my brain was going to leak out of my ears.” Jeera enthused, gesturing at the bustling presidium around them. Surprised, Julian let out a laugh before clapping her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. Jeera did not seem upset, rather she seemed delighted by the laugh. Julian lowered her hand hesitantly, smiling uncertainly. 

She continued talking, “This is probably the best part of the Citadel, and the only part worth anyone’s bother. The wards are just shit.” The swear word was so unexpected Julian couldn’t help but laugh again in surprise. She never heard an adult swear so casually around a child. Feeling the knots in her stomach settle, Julian felt herself relax a bit. “Just over there is like the best noodle restaurant ever, seriously. You have to try them at least once in your life. My favourite is the Leminera, but not many care for it. A bit too fishy for most aliens not asari.” 

Jeera then flashed her a wide smile full of pearly white teeth, stark and perfect against her deep blue skin. Julian almost gasped, her heart fluttering in her chest as the fond feeling from earlier came back, stronger and more powerful. She stared now unabashedly at Jeera as she continued to talk, seemingly unaware. Jeera seemed to almost transform the more Julian observed her, the fluid movement of her expressions, her strange lilting voice, the peculiar signature crests on her head all become more… normal. 

“Julian,” She suddenly blurted out, cutting Jeera off in the middle of a vivid description of her favourite dish from another restaurant. The asari paused, looking completely confused. Julian felt herself blush bright crimson, the tips of her ears burning, “T-that’s my name. Julian.” 

Jeera then rewarded her with another gleaming smile, and suddenly the embarrassment was worth it, “Well! Hello Julian, pleased to make your acquaintance. Lovely name.” The purr of her name had Julian shuffling in her seat uncertainly, smiling bashfully before averting her gaze to the floor. “So how old are you, Julian? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh, I’m nine,” She looked back up, surprised at the genuine interest from Jeera. She watched as the eyebrow like lines above her eyes flew up, head recoiling back in obvious surprise. 

“Nine! Like nine human years?” Was Jeera’s response. Julian nodded in confusion, brows furrowing as she watched the asari blatantly used her fingers to count something, “Wow, I knew you were young, all humans are but I did not expect that young. You must be the first human child on the Citadel!” Jeera exclaimed, leaning forward right into Julian’s personal space. Her blue eyes swept over her, taking in her small stature with obvious interest. Julian was taken aback with the scrutiny, but if she was the first human child Jeera have ever seen, well Julian understood that curiosity. 

“Um, how old are you?” She asked as Jeera sat back, finished with her closer look. She thought back to her alien studies class. They said that the asari lived up to over a century, but Jeera didn’t look that old. 

An amused chuckle escaped her purple lips, brows cocking as she rested her arms on the back of the bench, “How old am I? Why don’t you take a guess, kid?”

Wrinkling her nose, Julian looked carefully at Jeera’s amused face. She thought it had to be something crazy high, with the way Jeera was almost gloating, “One hundred and twelve?” Jeera exploded with laughter, throwing back her head. Julian typically would’ve been self-conscious of such a response, but the lines of Jeera’s throat captivated her for inexplicable reasons. After a moment the asari seemed to collect herself, bringing her head back down to meet Julian’s gaze,

“Oh, goddess, I forgot how delightful young ones are. No, Julian, I’m just shy four hundred years.”

Julian felt her jaw drop, her head spinning at the mere idea of actually living nearly four hundred years. It was beyond comprehension. She scooted closer to Jeera, suddenly needing to know more about everything, “Wha-? What is that like? Did you live through the Citadel being built? Were asaris in space when you were a kid?” She didn’t realize how close she moved until her hand bumped Jeera’s leg. The asari didn’t seem to mind, nor did she seem bothered by the barrage of questions.

“Oh goddess, look at you. Well, the years do seem to go by in a blink once you hit three hundred, very standard experience really. I most certainly did not witness the Citadel being built, no one has. This station is ancient, eons old already by the time the first asari discovered it, and space travel was well established before I joined the party. I do remember when you humans showed up, making a giant ruckus with the Turians,” Jeera winked, booping Julian right on the nose with a single finger. 

Indignant, Julian rubbed her nose as she asked the next question burning at the tip of her tongue, “You mean the First Contact War? You know about that?” 

“Oh my, yes, caught the attention of the whole galaxy really. Never had a new species challenge the Turians and actually hold their own. Was quite the gossip, still is in fact,” Jeera seemed to watch Julian’s face closely, but Julian didn’t know why. She beamed instead, unable to help the surge of pride. Being a child of the Alliance, she grew up in the midst of the First Contact War, and the ensuing events. Stories were often told of how victory was in their hands before the Council stepped in. An alien verifying their near success was quite the rush. 

“My mother was on Arcturus at the time, due to me being pretty much a baby still so she didn’t get to fight. I think she was really disappointed. I don’t remember much but my mother told me lots of stories. She got promoted to Staff Lieutenant that year, but she’s a Lieutenant Commander now!” Julian kicked her feet out, she was always excited to brag about Hannah, her mother was scary but she was the coolest person Julian knew. She looked up at Jeera’s face and couldn’t recognize the expression there. The asari seemed to be regarding her, but Julian didn’t understand why. 

“Sounds like your mom’s one tough cookie, to be in the Alliance and all,” Jeera said at last, and Julian felt her chest swell up further with pride. 

“Yes ma’am! My mother is respected by even those ranked above her. Sometimes, I even think her commander is scared of her,” Julian leaned forward to whisper the last part conspiratorially, earning a chuckle from the asari. “I’m gonna join the Alliance too, make her super proud of me,” Julian continued, straightening in her seat. It was strange, she suddenly thought, how quickly she grew to trust the stranger. Jeera reached her hand to her hair then, carefully running her blue fingers through Julian’s untameable dark brown mess, her expression again unreadable. 

“What about your father?” She asked, almost absently. 

“Oh, I don’t know. My mother says he is irreverent, I think,” Julian shrugged her shoulders, she used to be curious about her father due to her friends having two parents, but now she didn’t care. Jeera laughed at that, a smile on her face as she shook her head.

“Perhaps human females and asari are more alike than just appearances then, goddess,” Jeera chuckled to herself before noticing Julian’s curious gaze fixed on her, “Oh, you won’t understand that for a few more years. A touch young for that still.” 

Tilting her head and narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Julian snorted impatiently, “Oh that cryptic sort of talk. Grown-ups do that all the time.” She rolled her eyes before slumping back against the bench. There was something definitely reassuring about Jeera, she certainly had none of her mother’s strictness. Julian found herself leaning more into the asari’s presence. 

“Oh I bet,” Jeera said, amusement strong in her voice still. The asari looked away to the aliens walking by for a moment, lost in apparent thought before turning back to Julian, “Where’s your mom, kid? It’s been a while.”

“She’s in there, and she takes forever,” Julian pointed to the armoury, dragging out the last word for empathises, “She takes gun collecting to another level.”

Jeera looked at the armoury Julian pointed out and nodded, like it was expected. She looked back and sighed, making eye contact. Julian returned the gaze, her shyness completely gone. Jeera’s eyes were the deepest blue, just like the oceans in pics of Earth. Suddenly Jeera mussed her hair, pushing Julian almost off the bench. Laughing, Julian struggled free from her reach and began to push her unruly locks back. Using the distraction, Jeera had stood up and was giving her the strangest knowing smirk. 

“Well, kid, I’m outta time, but it was great meeting you,” Jeera stuck her hand out and Julian shook it out of reflex, still a bit stunned by the sudden change, “You take care, okay Julian?” 

The asari’s gaze fixed on her intensely at those words, before she finally turned away and disappeared into the stream of aliens. Julian gaped, staring after where Jeera was, not moments before. It was in this state that her mother found her, a moment later. 

“Julian, why are you gawping like that?” Hannah’s stern voice cut through her muddled thoughts, and she jolted to her feet. Her mother furrowed her brows as she straightened some stray locks of her hair. Julian began to shrug before catching herself. Her mother gave a little tut, hand drifting down to cup her cheek for a moment. Julian blinked in surprise, her mother had always been reserved in expressing her affections, especially in public. “So, kiddo, anything you want to do? We still have time before my next errand.”

Julian widened her eyes in surprise, most uncharacteristic of her mother indeed. She suddenly remembered the noodle restaurant Jeera first mentioned, and her stomach gave a rumbling protest. “There’s a noodle place over there, could we go?” Julian flashed her mother her best charming smile, and Hannah nearly smiled. She wrapped her arm over Julian’s shoulder and begun to lead them to the restaurant. Julian felt warmth fill through her as she burrowed under her mother’s protective arm, the Citadel didn’t seem so scary and confusing anymore. 

~*~

Jeera leaned against the wall, arms crossed as she watched the human child walked off with her mother. The surge of protective warmth in her own chest fluttered as she observed the two newcomers disappear into the crowd. She hadn’t expect her day to be derailed so dramatically, but really, the first human child on the Citadel? Jeera couldn’t resist that strange and obscure little history in the making. Not to mention what she witnessed up by the security bay, the interaction of the parent and child, Jeera couldn’t resist following the two to study such rare human behavior. She would admit she was surprised by the strictness of the mother, and the fearfulness of Julian, but she suspected that the Citadel was still dangerous in the minds of humans.

Moving away from the wall, Jeera began to make her way back to her apartment. She smiled as she reflected on how Julian quickly opened up in childish glee, not unlike asari children. The similarities between the two alien races seem to grow by the day, much to Jeera’s fascination. Of course, she had noticed the painfully obvious signs that the young child was soon to be going through sexual maturity, but for humans Jeera did not know when that would be. Would it be around the corner like turians, or years down the like asari? She made a note to find out more of human biology. It did catch her off guard, the level of intensity Julian held over the Relay 314 Incident, but Jeera suppose that it was only natural coming from the offspring raised in the Alliance. Having such a short life span did not afford many species the luxury of time that the asari took for granted, so human mothers apparently raised their children while serving. 

She reflected on the moment when she looked at the gun store Julian pointed out, and immediately making eye contact with her mother. The energy sent through that simple look was quite surprising to her, like concentrated maternal protectiveness radiated from the Alliance soldier. Jeera had took that as a sign to wisely leave before provoking the wrath of a mother. 

Arriving at her apartment building, Jeera paused and looked back over the Presidium, and sent a silent prayer for the Goddess to watch over Julian. She hoped that whatever path the child took, it would give her happiness. She sighed at her sentimental heart, giving her head an amused shake and entered the building.


End file.
